Ubisoft: 'We want to improve our relationship with PC gamers'

Publisher Ubisoft hopes to become a major player in the PC space with a broader digital store.The firm has been selling PC games via its Uplay service for some time, but has now opened that up to third parties, with EA, Warner Bros, Telltale and Bohemia amongst the companies on board. Wider selection and overhauled policies can widen the store’s audience, it is hoped.

Ubisoft was criticised by PC gamers for controversial ‘always-online’ anti-piracy protection. But the firm has now stopped the practice and Ubisoft’s worldwide Uplay director Stephanie Perotti says it’s listening very closely to feedback reports mcvuk:

“Announcing all these partners for Uplay and a wider choice of PC games, it shows our commitment to PC, and we want to improve out relationship with the PC community,” she told MCV.

“We are always seeking to improve. We took a lot of that feedback on board. With every game on PC we are improving. Far Cry 3 and Assassin’s Creed III on PC were very high quality.”

The third party games were made available on Uplay earlier this week, and the company is now looking to sell digital cards via retailers, just like Steam, Xbox Live, PSN, Facerbook, MMOs and Nintendo eShop already do.

“We already offer cards with some of our free-to-play games,” added Perotti. “We are now developing something for Uplay.”

There are currently 30 titles available on the Uplay digital store from third parties, and more will be announced over the ‘coming weeks and months’.

Perotti says the firm is ‘open to all opportunities’ when it comes to launching the Uplay store on other devices, including mobile.

But with a vast quantity of digital retailers, including Steam and EA’s Origin, already on the market, does the industry really need a new PC download store?

“I don’t think you can have too much choice,”?said Perotti. “It is just another way to expose more content.

“At Uplay we are also offering all Ubisoft titles, more console content and elements that gamers are more interested in. It’s about offering more options and more choice.”

Ubisoft: Our DRM will 'evolve and improve' - 04/12/2010 09:05 AM
Ubisoft's online platform requires PC gamers to be connected to the internet while they play. But problems arise when authentication servers are unavailable or unresponsive. This was felt first with ...

#4537481 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:20 AM
So where are the game patches then ? actions speak louder then words

pimp_gimp
Ancient Guru

Posts: 6519
Joined: 2004-05-13

#4537489 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:29 AM
It's coming. For example look at Far Cry 3 it already has 4 patches with a 5 rumored to be on the way. hopefully they'll be able to fix the small issues that remain, but honestly they are getting better. Now if only they'd get rid of Uplay, or make it have backup, and minimize to tray features for games.

PhazeDelta1
Moderator

Posts: 15539
Joined: 2010-09-12

#4537492 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:31 AM

'We want to improve our relationship with PC gamers'

Translation = From now on we will use lube every time we bend you over.

-=WolverinE=-
Member Guru

Posts: 73
Joined: 2012-10-03

#4537495 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:34 AM
I guess they came to the conclusion that not many PC gamers like Ubi by looking at their facebook page. lawl

Speed Weed
Maha Guru

Posts: 1067
Joined: 2011-12-04

#4537498 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:38 AM
So that they can $haft us from every angle, PhazeDelta1? You're probably quite correct.

SLI-756
Banned

Posts: 7604
Joined: 2012-07-10

#4537500 Posted on: 02/25/2013 09:40 AM
Fair's fair, both Far Cry3 and Future soldier are very PC friendly, shame they nerfed the Far Cry3 graphics but whatever, next gen consoles will help us out there.
Also Far Cry3 has many fans it's gotta be said, many folks really enjoyed that one.

FULMTL
Ancient Guru

Posts: 6704
Joined: 2008-04-03

#4537511 Posted on: 02/25/2013 10:02 AM

I guess they came to the conclusion that not many PC gamers like Ubi by looking at their facebook page. lawl

All I see is "FREE RAYMAN!" haha

Undying
Ancient Guru

Posts: 8734
Joined: 2008-08-28

#4537529 Posted on: 02/25/2013 10:39 AM
As an AMD user i'm still pissed about AC3! It works like an ass and still not playable like it should be...

Piss off Ubisoft

Mr.Bigtime
Ancient Guru

Posts: 20593
Joined: 2003-04-27

#4537531 Posted on: 02/25/2013 10:45 AM
UBI, you are doing it wrong.

PC gamers r bitches. bitch all the time. and u can never satisfy them. just make graphicly awesome games and they are find. they will talk AA and AF all the time and yet wont care about how the gameplay or story. and the cinematics that you care about alot.

UBI, just develop graphically awesome games. PC gamers want it.

Console gamers are looking for gameplay and FUN. UBI you will see, you will be doing better when the PS4 and next xbox will appear.

CronoGraal
Ancient Guru

Posts: 4104
Joined: 2006-10-11

#4537532 Posted on: 02/25/2013 10:45 AM
i wish i could have a 1:1 convo with em, tell them whats up

mackintosh
Master Guru

Posts: 179
Joined: 2012-11-28

#4537534 Posted on: 02/25/2013 10:48 AM
This is literally the seventh time they're promising to be nice to PC users. Fool me once... Sorry Ubi, between your DRM, Uplay and other shenanigans, you've lost my goodwill a long time ago and you're never getting it back.

Stukov
Ancient Guru

Posts: 4898
Joined: 2007-10-01

#4537553 Posted on: 02/25/2013 11:29 AM
UBI, you are doing it wrong.

PC gamers r bitches. bitch all the time. and u can never satisfy them. just make graphicly awesome games and they are find. they will talk AA and AF all the time and yet wont care about how the gameplay or story. and the cinematics that you care about alot.

UBI, just develop graphically awesome games. PC gamers want it.

Console gamers are looking for gameplay and FUN. UBI you will see, you will be doing better when the PS4 and next xbox will appear.

Am I reading too much into it, or are you saying people wouldn't enjoy Skyrim unless it looked good? Skyrim isn't my coup of tea, but I'm pretty sure most people enjoy this game for the gameplay and not because it looks nice with mods. I spent hundreds of hours playing Fallout 3 and Fallout:NV, whose graphics are dated to say the least, yet that didn't bother me one bit.

I'd much rather play a passably looking game with excellent gameplay than an interactive benchmark (*cough* Crysis 2 & 3 *cough*).

Year
Ancient Guru

Posts: 11596
Joined: 2007-11-01

#4537592 Posted on: 02/25/2013 12:27 PM
Publisher Ubisoft hopes to become a major player in the PC space with a broader digital store.The firm has been selling PC games via its Uplay service for some time, but has now opened that up to thir...

the more they improve relationship with pc gamers the more i'll support Ubisoft, already am anyway since the removal of the dreaded DRM/online requirement and i'm totally fine with with UPlay.

also i loved the last couple of titles especially FC3 and AC3.

there's a lot they can do to improve though (especially treating loyal customers with the respect they deserve) but if they keep moving forward on this path things will only get better and that's good.

they're slowly getting there, but only time will tell, during the last couple of month i haven't criticized Ubisoft which is also a good sign.